Postal Service chief, under fire, admits 'unintended consequences' of his policy overhaul

[TomCADem]

Source: CNBC

The embattled new chief of the U.S. Postal Service acknowledged in an internal memo to staff that his sweeping operational changes have brought "unintended consequences" to the government agency, NBC News reported Friday. But Postmaster General Louis DeJoy defended his overhaul of the Post Office despite reports of widespread mail delays and increasing scrutiny from lawmakers, mail workers' unions and the media in the run-up to the 2020 election.

"Let me be clear about the reasons behind our restructuring and the need for our plan. Our financial condition is dire," DeJoy said in the memo, which was sent to USPS staff on Thursday, NBC reported. "Our critics are quick to point to our finances, yet they offer no solution."

Since starting his role in June, DeJoy has implemented a slew of significant changes that he says are intended to stabilize the Post Office, which has seen its financial troubles compounded by the coronavirus pandemic. Those changes reportedly include crackdowns on overtime pay and curtailing late trips for mail carriers, as well as an overhaul of agency leadership.

In the memo, DeJoy admitted: "Unfortunately, this transformative initiative has had unintended consequences that impacted our overall service levels." He didn't elaborate on specific consequences.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/postal-service-chief-under-fire-admits-unintended-consequences-of-his-policy-overhaul/ar-BB17YuSh?li=BB141NW3

---

So, as a result of all of these changes, one of the "unintended" consequences could be a delay in delivery. Thus, if mail delays were to suddenly hit larger urban areas (which may be more Democratic) such that returned absentee ballots are not returned before the election and are not counted, that was just an accident.

I wonder whether the overhaul is called "Project Delay the Brown Vote" behind closed doors. Eliminate sorting machines in the Atlanta metropolitan area and suddenly Georgia becomes an easy win for Trump.

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. Liar

Myself this is no different than a group of Russian tanks pulling into America parking next to voting places mailing places and telling us no you are not going to vote.

[SheltieLover]

2. Unintended my ass!

DeJoy is a logistics expert! He knows precisely what he is doing! 🤬🤬🤬

[dalton99a]

6. +1

[SheltieLover]

12. 👍

Lying sack of 💩💩💩!!! 🤬🤬🤬

[Rebl2]

19. Absolutely!

All he is doing is purposely ruining the p.o. for political reasons. He is also hurting businesses big and small. Why don’t they speak up? I haven’t heard them speak up. How does the idiot in the WH not realizing it is hurting businesses. I’ve written my Congressman and weirdly I got emails from my republican senators, even though I haven’t written them, on how they support the postal service.
I was waiting for a package from Etsy and it was taking a long time to get to me. By the way I knew they mailed it within a couple of days of them receiving the order. She wrote me back and said other people that had ordered from her had the same problem. She then went on to blame the new postmaster general and encouraged me to let my senators and congress person.

[SheltieLover]

23. DeJoy is said to have contracts with competitors of the USPS

So it screws up mail-in voting, and profits the repukes. They are so sickening.

[HotTeaBag]

62. You are definitely on to something re: business.

Once big business starts to throw their weight around they will get listened to - we can protest all we want and it will have an effect certainly, but since ALL of our Republican congress folks (and too many Democratic ones as well), are beholden to large corporations, only they have the power to affect actual change unfortunately.

[csziggy]

64. Who is going to complain?

Businesses whose bills arrive to the consumer late or whose payments from consumer won't care - they will just charge the consumers late fees and will make more money.

Amazon doesn't care - they can use late deliveries as proof they need their own delivery service.

FedEx and UPS don't care - more companies will pay them exorbitant fees to guarantee deliveries that have to be there on time.

Maybe smaller business who want to provide good service to their customers will care, but those have already been knee capped by the pandemic and are struggling for survival anyway. Besides, they can always use FedEx and UPS to deliver items more reliably and simply charge their customers more.

Consumers just want to get their stuff. Unless they send out Christmas cards that don't arrive until Valentine's Day, it will not affect very many people. It might get people to move to auto pay out of their bank accounts, rather than waiting for their bills to arrive and paying by check.

[AmyStrange]

67. Good points, except...

-

it doesn't seem to be affecting Amazon.

On the same day (AUG-04), I sent a first-class letter to my sister, and Amazon also shipped me 3 books (through the USPS) to my POB.

I got my Amazon order last Friday (AUG-07), but my sister didn't get my letter until yesterday (AUG-14).

I think it's just letters that are being affected, not packages.
============

[HotTeaBag]

68. It is actually affecting packages - even through Amazon

as they use USPS on occasion for last mile delivery of smaller stuff. I had a package come five days late and another that we just ordered that was supposed to be here on Wednesday got 'lost' somewhere and Amazon nor the USPS have any idea where it is.

[AmyStrange]

69. Didn't affect mine, and...

-

it was shipped from beginning to end via the USPS, because my address is a POB.

Not saying your wrong, because obviously you're having problems with it, but it worked fine with my stuff.
=============

[HotTeaBag]

71. Great, I'm glad it worked for you.

I guess there's no problem then - awesome !!!

[AmyStrange]

73. What?

-

Why the negativity?

I'm not saying there's NO PROBLEM. All I'm saying is that it worked for me, but not for my letter to my sister.

That took twice as long as normal.
=========

[HotTeaBag]

74. And I am happy for you.

[AmyStrange]

75. Well, I'm not happy. The letter to my sister took twice as long as normal.

[csziggy]

76. I don't think the Post Office or many Republican respresentatives care

About first class mail by individuals or bills to individuals.

I've written here before about problems with the mail locally - houses that didn't get any mail for as long as eleven days, Amazon packages that just disappeared. medical supply packages that were not found until I stood in the PO while they searched for them - a month or more after they went sent - and those were sent to my PO Box since I don't consider my street box to be secure.

This local branch is notorious about delivery issues - there have been articles that made the national news about it.

Maybe this local branch issues were a trial run for how the Post Office could be completely screwed up - I don't know. My Democratic House member has been trying to get things improved at the local branch since their major problems in December of 2018. I just spoke to his office staff about issues I have had recently. Unfortunately, I don't have much confidence that anything can be done.

[AmyStrange]

77. I don't have much confidence either...

-

I got a POB for the same reason you did. Someone's been stealing the mail on our street.

That and the delivery person is constantly putting the wrong mail in my home mailbox.

I reported it to the police, and they just told me to report it the the Postmaster.

Yeah, that'll work, especially now.
============

[csziggy]

78. I'va had the PO Box since this branch opened

I was not yet living on my property but wanted to establish a mailing address I could retain once I moved out here. Plus, our street box is not visible from anywhere on my land and is not secure. No bills, bank statements, or anything important is mailed to the street address.

In the over forty years I've had the PO Box, I've had great service up until the last two or three years. Since 2016, the service had degraded to the point I am not sure it is a reliable or secure address. If it were at all convenient, I would consider getting a private PO Box, say at a UPS store. Any of their locations are less convenient to get to than the PO branch, and all of them are short term locations, compared to a USPS branch.

[AmyStrange]

79. I also need it for whois, because...

-

I definitely don't need someone reading my Domain whois and finding me.

Lots of nut jobs out there.

I had a private box once, but they kept complaining, because I was having packages sent there!

WTH?!
==========

[csziggy]

80. Oh, that is an issue

And yes, my domain is listed at the PO Box.

Yeah, that is my worry with a private box - here they are all offered at UPS stores and I bet they would not be happy with FedEx deliveries.

[AmyStrange]

81. That's the only problem I've had with my POB...

-

is the PO won't deliver them either.

Amazon is happy to deliver there, and that helps.

I'm not happy about UPS or FedEx delivering to my house. They just leave it on the front step, and I've actually heard of people following them around to steal stuff.

They're good for businesses, though.
=========

[csziggy]

82. I got ticked off when the USPS gave FedEx my street address

The vendor had no information on delivery methods - whether USPS, UPS, or FedEx. It was FedEx. USPS gave them the street address and the FedEx driver left the package out at the street, next to our entrance gate, in full sight of anyone driving by, during the time we get daily summer thunderstorms. It wasn't until I checked on delivery that I found out that it had been delivered and had to go hunt for it.

I raised hell with USPS - I had NOT given permission for them to give out my address to a private entity. I also complained to the vendor about not giving info on their shipping method. Usually if a vendor exclusively uses FedEX, they will not allow a PO Box to be entered - not in this case. NewEgg is that way - you cannot ship to a PO Box and FedEx delivers all their packages.

It was very lucky that the contents were not damaged since the package did get wet. If that had happened, I would have been even more irate.

I've thought about getting a lock box to put next to the gate for package deliveries, but the good ones big enough are very expensive. The cheaper ones are small and unless you set the bolts to hold them down in concrete, they can be easily stolen.

Oh - and the gate is almost never closed, only when horses get out on the rest of the farm. No dogs that would be a worry to delivery people, so no excuses for not bringing things to the house, other than it is set back from the front of the property.

[AmyStrange]

83. When I lost my debit card...

-

I had to pay $25 to have it delivered by UPS.

I actually screamed at them on the phone, asking since I'm paying for it, why can't I decide who delivers it.

They were under contract... blah blah blah.

I had to actually quit my job to be there for it AND the delivery of my driver's license.

Needless to say, I don't use their debit card anymore. Netspend is their name and they advertise all over the TV, especially late at night. STAY. AWAY. FROM. THEM!!!
=======

[csziggy]

84. Wow - that is horrible

When my husband and I were in the UK last fall, he lost his credit card in Scotland. I contacted the company and they sent the card to a hotel we would be staying at. It got a little confusing since the agent asked where we would be in two days and I told her Boston, Lincolnshire. She heard Boston and thought Massachusetts.

Once that was cleared up, she had the replacement cards sent to where we were staying in London two weeks later. We arrived and the cards were waiting at the concierge desk as soon as we arrived. No shipping charges, or extra cost!

Then as soon as we got back we had to replace our cell phones - dear husband lost his in Scotland at a different place than the credit card - and I lost a different card. No problem, replaced right away. When my husband put his new card in his wallet, he found my card in there. But I had to contact all sorts of places to give them the new numbers for recurrent charges...

[AmyStrange]

85. Yes, contacting all those places again...

-

was definitely a pain in the ass too.

It's a good thing I kept my Netspend account open, though, because that's where the stupid IRS sent my stimulus check, even though I had filed two weeks before, using my new account from a LOCAL bank!

Bunch of freakin' idiots.
========

[HotTeaBag]

70. Most small to mid-size businesses will care.

https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/24/if-we-let-the-us-postal-service-die-well-be-killing-small-businesses-with-it/

FedEx UPS and Amazon will also care, as they all use the USPS quite a bit for last mile delivery especially to rural communities that they either can't get to or don't have the personnel to deal with.

So, there is indeed a large enough constituency of businesses that will suffer and *should* make their voices heard - not to mention the military who depend not only on the USPS for absentee voting but for delivery of packages from Home, and I'm pretty sure that Republicans will listen to the military if they begin to make some noise.

[Baitball Blogger]

22. +1

[Squinch]

24. This. Lying sack.

[Progressive dog]

29. +1

[patphil]

43. My ass also!

[Iliyah]

3. Bullshit . .

It was planned.

[Sherman A1]

20. +1000

[dalton99a]

4. Complete and utter bullshit.

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Unintended my ass! This is USPS version of Merrick Garland & Russia Are You Listening

Things that are so shockingly over the top you initially say, "Nah, can't be. Just can't be happening."

But it is.

And personally, I pledge to not use the USPS for October 1 to November 4.

No letters, bills, packages, no eBay. We need to reduce volume to allow room for ballots. My packages could make room for many other pieces of mail.

[cstanleytech]

7. I would say its more likely that they are actually completely intended consequences. nt

[Dem2theMax]

41. + 1,000. nt.

[IronLionZion]

8. They think Americans are all stupid

[C_U_L8R]

9. 'Unintended consequences' is what you get when you install a bootlicking know-nothing

Heckovajob. Heckovajob.

[elleng]

10. Just heard (on radio,) McCarthy said USPS will get it's money.

No more details.

Sounds like they're feeling the pressure.

[TomCADem]

25. I Doubt This Will Stop Dejoy from Trying to Delay Ballots...

...in areas that are likely against Trump. The lack of money was mostly a pretext for Trump.

[elleng]

26. Right, but we're kicking a***s now,

so MAY get to his.

[jayfish]

11. On Day 1...

of the Biden Administration work must begin to repeal the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act.

[onetexan]

37. K&R!!

[yaesu]

13. unintended my a$$, does he think that will keep him out of prison when tRump/Barr gets the boot? nt

[orwell]

14. YOU'RE FIRED! n/m

[Kali]

15. oh please

their whole game plan is chaos and nothing else.

[bucolic_frolic]

16. Why is 'unintended' his take on it? Why not 'restructuring', right-sizing, cost-cutting?

And aren't they spending a lot to dismantle and trash the equipment? Why not let it sit for awhile, see the ebb and flow of seasons and years. Why not part it out, cancel contracts. So this unintended is a cover story in my view. Most of all because he hasn't seriously explained what he's doing and why he's doing it. What study, concept, project, criteria were used to make the decision to take this course of action. Management doesn't just operate in a vacuum. They have good solid, cost-based, and organizational psychology reasons for undertaking major changes. NONE of this has been adequately hinted at or explained.

[flibbitygiblets]

17. It was unintended, but they aren't going to fix it

People aren't getting their medicines. Important documents, social security and Medicare cards and checks delayed. The 2020 election is counting on unprecedented mail in votes to save lives. "Unintended consequences" of a suddenly realized crisis at the post office have been confirmed.

Yet, Postmaster KillJoy is going to sit on his ass. This is the story he's going with?

[LisaL]

18. If you believe consequences are unintended, I have a nice bridge for sale.

NT

[Tommymac]

21. DeJoy is a LIAR and Dem Congress Critters should NOT show him any Respect or Restraint.

Demand answers and results YESTERDAY!!!

Or the Dems can potentially consider themselves enablers too. This HAS to stop.

[usaf-vet]

27. No suggestions my arse

Here are a few.

1. Sell off all of your stock shares in any company that handles mail or packages. I bet Jeff Bezos would buy it up quickly.
2. Reverse the outrageous billions of dollars the USPS has to pay into a retirement fund. It was done to financially hurt THE USPS
3. Reverse Your NO overtime policy that makes postmen quit BEFORE FINISHING THEIR ROUTES.
4. Stop removing equipment from post offices UNTIL a full study has been done.
5. Stop removing mail drop boxes UNTIL a full study has been done.
6. Recognize that Veterans rely on VA mailed medication. Often life-saving drugs that are taken every day.
7. Recognize the USPS is covered in the Constitution and mail delivery is protected by and subject to additional laws passed by Congress
8. Quit attempting to suppress 2020 votes that are sent by mail.
9. Admit you are a Trump sycophant. AND QUIT is the simplest solution.

[spooky3]

36. Excellent nt

[thesquanderer]

46. And there HAVE been suggestions, for years

including some of what you've alluded to, and ending Saturday delivery, and adding postal banking services...

[progressive nobody]

28. BULL! he knew exactly what he was doing!

[jorgevlorgan]

30. Their financial situation is dire?

They already own all the equipment they are shutting down and getting rid of to slow down mail. They dont get money back for that. This is just fascist bullshit.

[klook]

31. The unintended consequence was millions of Democrats finding out what he was up to

and getting pissed the fuck off. Not to mention quite a few Republicans having to learn a new pretzel move to maintain their support for Diaper Don.

[cayugafalls]

32. Bullshit Alert!

[SunSeeker]

33. That's like saying a bullet leaving my gun was the unintended consequence of my pulling the trigger.

And he is such a liar about critics not offering solutions. How about giving the post office $4 Billion Covid-19 relief money that Dems are asking for? That would eliminate the need for bans on overtime and removals of sorting machines. Millionaires got Covid-19 relief money; the Fed lavished TRILLIONS on Wall Street.

Or we can end the ridiculous GOP-conjured poison pill requirement that the Post Office fund 70 years worth of estimated employee retirements now, something NO OTHER entity, government or private, has to do.

[Marthe48]

34. Unintended as in patriots didn't roll over?

I'm glad there is screaming outrage about this, but why can't these criminals be rounded up and removed from their posts? Every day there is another assault and I'm sick of watching criminals get away with their crimes.

[spooky3]

35. How does it save money to remove mail sorting machines? Nt

[moreland01]

38. And removing corner mail boxes

from communities in Blue States? People still need a place to drop their mail.

[Snackshack]

39. Yea right...

This is always the standard reply of ignorance by the gop. “Geeezz you can’t hold up responsible we did not know or realize our massive cuts / interference / lack of attention would have these consequences.” It BS they know perfectly well what they are doing.

Edit- That letter is complete BS also. The Post Office has tons of money...they just can’t touch it. Bush jr and GOP tried to kill off the USPS also.... back in the the early 2000’s by requiring them to have 75 yrs of funding for retirement plans. They have been streamlined to a fine tip over the last two decades. Between Email/Fed Ex/UPS they have had no choice but to streamline. This guys sole purpose was to destroy the USPS the GOP has been wanting to do this since Reagan...and now it looks like they just might. Unless people speak/act up because the Dems seem to be completely silent on this...and pretty much everything else. Their total lack of action since 2018 has been a huge disappointment.

[Dem2theMax]

42. + 1,000. nt.

[Karma13612]

40. This is just criminal. It never stops. 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 nt

[pazzyanne]

44. I believe what my eyes see, not what the tRump administration says.

What we see happening to the USPS is exactly what they wanted to happen, I don't see them taking responsibility and changing the direction they took.

[judesedit]

45. Exactly. They are all a bunch of liars with underlying motives. Dump already

admitted what he was doing and why.

[LuckyLib]

47. This entire mis-administration is one big unintended consequence. The gift that keeps on giving.

[Lonestarblue]

48. DeJoy lies. There is a quick fix for at least a significant part of the USPS finances.

Congress can pass a law undoing the requirement for the USPS to fully fund all current employees’ retirement benefits, including healthcare, decades into the future. Republicans passed this law with the goal of crippling the USPS finances and forcing its sale to a private company so said company could rip off taxpayers, raise prices, and close smaller post offices in rural areas. Since our taxes help fund postal services, does anyone seriously believe that Republicans would decrease our taxes if they were able to reward some billionaire donor by giving him the USPS on the cheap!

If all three branches of government are held by Democrats next January, this is another law that needs to change.

[Ilsa]

53. I wish Pelosi and Reid had done this under Obama in 2009-2010.

Declare the current set-aside as sufficient. USPS deserves a bottom line in the black, as they have operated in the black for ages now.

[Cryptoad]

49. Can not the Gov's,,,,

call up the NG to help collect and deliver the ballots?

[Martin Eden]

50. INTENDED as HELL

ALL trumpers are LIARS

[sdfernando]

51. what a crock of shit statement! FU Dejoy! /NT

[warmfeet]

52. This is not unintended.

Orange monkey butt potus already admitted what this is all about. If we allow it to go forward it is the end of any semblance of Democracy in this country. Hopefully, we can all live with that result - or perhaps, die with that result.

[ProfessorGAC]

54. The Financial Situation Is Dire...

...so the solution is to make customers find an alternative, thereby lowering revenues.
This is an enormously stupid business move, which leads one to believe this has NOTHING to do with the financial situation.

[Grokenstein]

58. THIS. The USPS is a government service, not a business.

[dlk]

55. Oh please, these are exactly the intended consequences

No one with half a brain believes Dejoy’s lies.

[liberalla]

56. Keep the spotlight and pressure on... this must be resolved soon.

Just pisses me off - the shit they are trying.

I wonder what will be revealed in probe of Amazon stock options purchase?

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213899814

[louis-t]

57. "Unintended" my ass.

[meow2u3]

59. Unintended consequences my size 12 foot!

DeJerk has a personal financial interest in private shipping companies and his intent is to sabotage the USPS so nobody will trust the reliability of the mail.

He must go now--and then to prison!!

[kacekwl]

60. Exactly how does removal of

sorting machines help ? Does slowing down service help ? Do you think we are idiots ?

[LisaL]

65. Of course they think that we are idiots.

[AZ8theist]

61. "Unintended Consequences"

LYING.

SACK.

OF.

SHIT.

LOCK HIM UP.

[AllyCat]

63. It wasn't unintended. He just didn't think about it because mail delivery was not his goal

His goal was mail NON-DELIVERY. And that is working out just great for him and 45.

[RhodeIslandOne]

66. THIS GUY IS FULL OF SHIT

[LiberalFighter]

72. He started in June and already knew how to fix the problem?

[Galraedia]

86. Trump appointed a donor at the exact moment when the media started talking about mail in voting

Coincidence? I think not.

[ElementaryPenguin]

87. FUCKING LIAR! Totally INTENDED consequences!!

Fucking treasonous liar!!! Anyone that helps Trump ruins themselves in the process.

[Skittles]

88. he needs to be booted

this is complete bullshit

he's either lying or he is an idiot - actually, because he is a Trump supporter we know he is BOTH

GET RID OF HIM